A winter storm that dumped several inches of snow across Colorado on Wednesday wreaked havoc on Interstate 70. Multiple crashes involving more than 20 vehicles led to a massive pileup near Strasburg, Colorado, which is just east Denver. “Semis came through here, obviously a little bit faster than they should. Lost control and started just a chain reaction of semi after semi colliding, jackknifing,” Colorado State Patrol (CSP) Cpl. Ian Alvarado told CBS News. “Nobody’s really seriously injured which is actually a miracle.” Two truck drivers were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Following the major accident, the Colorado Department of Transportation shut down a more than 150-mile stretch from Denver to the Kansas state line on I-70. CSP Master Trooper Cutler told Denver ABC7 that a hazmat team was on the scene trying to contain the fuel spills. Cutler also noted that there were 50-60 other semis parked along the interstate waiting for crews to clear a path for them.
As efforts to clear the crash continued into Thursday morning, parts of the major highway have been closed for more than 16 hours. According to an update from the CSP, the westbound lanes of I-70 were in the process of opening as of 7:40 a.m. MST. A large section of the eastbound lane on I-70 is expected to reopen by mid-morning on Thursday. But the eastbound lanes from Air Park Road to Deer Trail will remain closed until the crash is completely cleared.